Ho-Chunk (Winnebago)
Ho-Chunk
Siouan
Ho-Chunk (Hoocąk, also called Winnebago) is a Siouan language traditionally spoken in Wisconsin and Nebraska by members of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Fewer than 250 speakers remain, including only several dozen fully fluent elders, and Glottolog classifies the language as endangered and shifting. Ho-Chunk has rich verbal person marking, relatively flexible word order with a basic SOV structure, nasal vowels, and a regular accent system. Community orthographies use Latin letters with marks such as ogoneks for nasal vowels; Wisconsin and Nebraska conventions differ in some details. Tribal language departments, dictionaries, classes, apprentice programs, and teaching materials support active revitalization.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Ho-Chunk
Water
nina
/ˈninə/
Fire
—
/—/
Sun
wira
/ˈwiɾa/
Moon
huhawira
/huhaˈwiɾa/
Star
wiragošge
/wiɾaɡoʃke/
Mother
hinį
/ˈhinɪ̃/
Father
jází
/ˈdʒaːzi/
I
nee
/neː/
You
nee
/neː/
Name
raš
/raʃ/
Eye
—
/—/
Hand
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
nąįžą
/nɐ̃ɪ̃ˈʒɐ̃/
House
—
/—/
Dog
wažą
/waˈʒɐ̃/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
waruc
/waˈɾutʃ/
Drink
—
/—/
One
hijâkíra
/hiˈdʒɐkiɾa/
Two
nųųp
/nũːp/
Hello
hąį
/hɐ̃ˈɪ̃/
Thank you
hąbujį́
/hɐ̃buˈdʒɪ̃/
Good
—
/—/
Words compared
Compared with related Siouan languages
| Meaning | Ho-Chunk | Phrygian | Venetic | Meroitic | Messapic | Proto-Japonic-Koreanic | Goguryeo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nina /ˈninə/ | — /—/ | ouriom /ˈou.ri.om/ | 𐦠𐦶 /ato/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 買 /*mai/ |
| Fire | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | wira /ˈwiɾa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐦨𐦯 /ˈmasa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | huhawira /huhaˈwiɾa/ | masê /maˈseː/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Star | wiragošge /wiɾaɡoʃke/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | hinį /ˈhinɪ̃/ | mater /ˈmater/ | matur /ˈma.tur/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *əma /əma/ | — /—/ |
| Father | jází /ˈdʒaːzi/ | atas /aˈtas/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ana /ˈana/ | *əpa /əpa/ | — /—/ |
| I | nee /neː/ | az /az/ | eχo /ˈexo/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| You | nee /neː/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Name | raš /raʃ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | nąįžą /nɐ̃ɪ̃ˈʒɐ̃/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | wažą /waˈʒɐ̃/ | kan /kan/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | waruc /waˈɾutʃ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | hijâkíra /hiˈdʒɐkiɾa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Two | nųųp /nũːp/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | hąį /hɐ̃ˈɪ̃/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | hąbujį́ /hɐ̃buˈdʒɪ̃/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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